B S O rchestra asingstoke ymphony
President: Julian Lloyd Webber
Hon. Treasurer: Dr Tom Lee, 23 Mercer close, Basingstoke, RG22 6NZ Telephone: 01256 412 070 Mob: 07769 541 064 Email: tom_dm_lee@hotmail.co.uk
Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra Trustees Annual report 2024-2025 Season
Committee Members
Elected at AGM on 27 June 2025
Elected Committee Roles
Chair: Ann Henshaw Secretary: David Simmonds Treasurer: Tom Lee Librarian: Lalage Cochrane Publicity: Vacancy Elected Member: Clive Evans (Concert Manager) Elected Member: Tim Martin (Assistant Concert Manager) Elected Member: Grace Timms (Poster and Flyer Drop Coordinator) Elected Member: Matt Roberts (Data Protection Officer and Website)
Co-opted (non-voting)
Patrons’ Administrator Suzy Thompson S ocial Secretaries Ray and Jane Kitching Grants and Funding Applications Cathy Shaw Safeguarding Liz Combes Social Media Sophie Bayliss
Ex Officio (non-voting)
Musical Director Stephen Scotchmer Leader Sue Bint
Other Roles: Health and Safety James Moar Rehearsal Tea and Coffee Ray and Jane Kitching and Rowan Bolton
Summary of Activities
Chair’s Report:
I'm still on a complete high from the magnificent Summer Solstice concert—broken toe and all! It was absolutely worth it. I have loved every moment of this special 95th Anniversary year. I truly feel the orchestra has grown into a strong, supportive community of players who look out for one another. As an HR professional by background, I’m very focused on creating a strong culture of collaboration and community. This has been an exceptional year for the orchestra, and we continue to grow and thrive. We've welcomed many new members this year, and I’d like to thank each of you for contributing to such a fantastic season. I'd like to begin by thanking the Committee: Stephen, Sue, Clive, Tom, David, Matt, Lalage, Tim, Grace, and Anna for your dedication and support. A huge amount of work
The Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra is a registered charity number 264670
goes on behind the scenes including regular meetings, calls, planning for future seasons, and, this year, regular visits for me and Stephen to The Vyne. You've all done a fantastic job keeping the orchestra running smoothly. We're now planning repertoire well into 2027, giving us the time we need to prepare thoroughly, especially after the enormous task of organising the Summer Solstice concert. It’s incredibly satisfying that we pulled it off and even turned in a profit of around £5,000. I also want to thank a few wonderful people who aren’t in the orchestra but volunteer tirelessly behind the scenes often because their other half is involved. Jane has been brilliant this year, providing teas and coffees and, with Ray, organising a very successful Christmas dinner at The Holly Blue. Thank you both; it’s so appreciated. I’d also like to thank Brendan and Barbara, who run our programme stall. At The Vyne, they also managed ticket entry and the Lost and Found table; thank you both. As Brendan said, they’ll resume “normal business” at The Anvil in November. Another key supporter is James Moar, who has taken on the role of Health and Safety Manager. He always makes what can be a dry subject genuinely interesting and engaging. He also single-handedly cleared the Vyne lawn this time around to prepare it for our audience; thank you, James. As a token of our appreciation, there’s a small gift from the orchestra for each of you. Reflecting on last year, the November concert was outstanding. The multi-talented Aki Blendis absolutely stunned the audience with his performance of the Glazunov Violin Concerto. How can someone be that good at 16 years old? He still features on our website and was the first soloist to agree to have a full performance video posted online. That concert also marked our, debut on TV, with both Aki and Clive, celebrating an incredible 60 (now 61) years with the orchestra, interviewed by Now TV. It was also Stephen’s 45th anniversary and, of course, the orchestra’s 95th – so much to celebrate in one year! February was nerve-wracking but unforgettable, as we welcomed Jiaxin Lloyd Webber as our soloist. She looked stunning on the night, and we were thrilled to be joined by our President, Julian Lloyd Webber. When he first took on the role four years ago, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to attend, so it meant a lot to have him there. We thank them both for an incredible performance and for coming along and connecting so warmly with the orchestra.
Then there was Petersfield, a completely different take on the same piece, featuring Lucy’s exceptional performance. She truly is an outstanding cellist, and it’s a testament to the BSO that she has grown up in and around our orchestra. This was also the first time Basingstoke Camera Club attended to take a fabulous set of rehearsal and concert photos. They’re becoming a regular feature now, and I think we’ve all become more comfortable with the need for publicity to help grow our audience. This local connection extends to our work with the council, where we’ve fostered links with the Leader of Basingstoke Council, the Mayor, cultural councillors, the Basingstoke Voluntary Association, and finally formed BCAT (Basingstoke Community Arts Together) with the Chairs of BATS, BAYO, and the Choral Society. We now share lots of useful information and it was through this network that we connected with our fantastic sound engineer, George, and his team. At last year’s AGM, we were worried about falling audience numbers. But final ticket sales for The Vyne reached 857, and I genuinely believe that, had we not capped sales, we could have sold all 1,000 tickets. And then—The Vyne. I could talk about it all evening. Just wow, wow, wow! From the moment I became Chair, I secretly dreamed of organising a big community concert for Basingstoke. And now it’s done and what an amazing thing to achieve in my retirement, even if it was a bit of a leap into the unknown! It was a fantastic experience, full of special moments. Playing Happy Birthday for my grandson is something I’ll never forget so thank you all for helping create a memory I’ll be able to share with him for years. Watching a video of my daughter dancing with him in front of the tent was also incredibly moving. Meeting the Mayor and the Council Leader quietly at the back of the venue, I found myself wondering whether they’d enjoy the evening. I even roped in Michael, our horn player, who was enjoying a quiet moment on a bench, to take some photos. In the end, they had a lovely time mingling and enjoying the atmosphere. During the interval, it was heartwarming to walk through the crowd and see you all with friends and family: Lucy’s girls dancing, and even a video with a shadow near the lake that looks uncannily like Jane Austen dancing to the Overture to Perth! That might need further investigation this summer! Yes, I was in agony with my broken toe all day but somehow the excitement and joy carried me through. It felt like a huge wedding, and the next morning I really had to ask myself, “Did that actually happen?” We’re now heading into our 96th anniversary year with an amazing line-up. We’re well organised, and I hope we’ll have just as much fun. I never forget that, above all, we are a community orchestra and that really shone through on the Saturday evening. I see so much friendship and support within the group, and I believe we’ve built a wonderful culture of community and musicianship. Please do think about what you can do to help share the load, whether that’s through good participation, regular attendance, helping with music selection, or spreading the word to boost ticket sales. I know I’ve been a bit of a control freak this year when it came to The Vyne but there are lots of other areas where we could use some fresh input, like social media or the
website, if you’re interested. Looking ahead, we still face the challenge of ticket numbers so let’s work hard to fill The Anvil. Let’s keep up the great rehearsal attendance, but always with a big smile and a spring in our step.
Accounts
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2024-2025 2023-2024
Examined Examined
INCOME
Concert income 36109.89 31299.41
other/interest 0.98 250.68
36110.87 31550.09
EXPENDITURE
concert expenditure 29214.98 36064.20
Management/Administration Costs 1025.83 621.00
marketing 750.00 600.00
30990.81 37285.20
Profit/Loss for the season (ex fund raising) 5120.06 -5735.11
fund raising income 1854.00 1143.35
Profit/Loss for the season 6974.06 -4591.76
BALANCE SHEET
ACCUMULATED FUND
Opening Balance - brought forward 29429.27 34021.03
Profit/Loss for Period 6974.06 -4591.76
36403.33 29429.27
Young Musicians Fund - endowment 464.70 464.70
Closing Balance - carried forward 36868.03 29893.97
ASSETS 2024-2025 2023-2024
Current Account 10830.52 761.13
Deposit Account 0.01 0.01
Instant Access Saver 23693.83 27354.23
Friends Account 191.50 64.00
Young Musicians Account 464.70 464.70
Prepaid expenses 0.00 250.00
Receipts in arrears 1837.47 1037.47
Suspense 200.00 0.00
37218.03 29931.54
LESS LIABILITIES
Accrued expenses 350.00 37.57
Receipts in advance 0.00 0.00
350.00 37.57
36868.03 29893.97
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Independent examiners report
I confirm that I have reviewed the accounts for 2024-25 and find them to be an accurate record of the financial activities of Basingstoke Symphony Orchestra. Howard Garland